by Daniel S. Bruce, DDS, D,ABDSM and Bethany A. Bewley, RDH, MS
When adult patients with sleep-related breathing disorders come into my office for treatment, they often ask me why they developed sleep apnea in the first place. After all, it makes sense that natural selection should eliminate unfavorable traits, (such as choking in your sleep) and therefore, the genes that … [Read more...]

by Neal Seltzer, DMD, FAGD, D.ABDSM, D.ACSDD, D.ASBD
The time-tested, leading treatment options for Obstructive Sleep Apnea have been variations of surgery, Positive Air Pressure, Oral Appliance Therapy, or any combination of the three. There have been several other valid attempts to treat OSA such as EPAP (expiratory positive air pressure), hypoglossal nerve stimulation, … [Read more...]

Alex was devastated. His best friend Brandon invited him and couple of other friends to go to Disneyland with his family. He and Brandon were inseparable at school, even over the weekends. But Alex was afraid and decided not to go. If he went on the trip and shared one of the double beds in the hotel with Brandon, Alex knew he’d probably wet the bed while sleeping.
Alex’s sto … [Read more...]

O2Vent™ unique airway acts as second nose
Australian dentist Dr. Chris Hart was a chronic sleep apneic with severe nasal congestion. In an act of desperation one sleepless night, he fashioned the prototype of what would become the O2Vent™ T. This “light bulb” moment led to developing a customized oral appliance with an internal airway to treat obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) … [Read more...]

It’s clear that the availability of oral appliance therapy (OAT) is a successful form of treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). The availability of OAT helps dental sleep medicine specialists treat patients suffering from mild to moderate sleep apnea. However, OAT isn’t always the best form of treatment for patients. If OAT doesn’t produce the results dental … [Read more...]

There are many signs and symptoms to look for in our patients that are indicative of Sleep Disordered Breathing (SDB), but what signs and symptoms could we be missing? We can simply ask our patients how well they’re sleeping, but when answering that question; many patients won’t consider that they may be suffering from the most common form of SDB, Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA). … [Read more...]

Creating A Pathway To Successful Treatment
Choosing the appropriate sleep apnea treatment for your patients depends on a number of factors, including the cause and severity of their condition, their medical history, and their personal preferences. Understanding when to utilize an oral appliance or when to explore the option of maxillofacial-mandibular advancement (MMA) … [Read more...]

Essential Technology for Any Dental Sleep Medicine Practice? You Decide!
Interest in Sleep Medicine (SM) and Dental Sleep Medicine (DSM) has grown considerably over the past decade; between 2002 and 2013 the number of articles published about SM/DSM grew from approximately 500 articles to more than 1500 and the trend continues. DSM’s growth has mirrored that of sleep medicine – … [Read more...]

Background
The importance of incorporating vertical dimension (VDO) into jaw positioning for treatment of OSA with oral appliances has been largely overlooked in the Dental Sleep Medicine community. Although some commercial bite registration products include a vertical component, there is little critical evidence to support their use. Additionally, early work by Peter Cistulli … [Read more...]

by Steven D. Bender, DDS
Abstract
Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) are common in the general population. Patients who suffer with sleep disordered breathing (SDB) may have existing signs and/or symptoms of TMDs or develop these disorders during treatment with mandibular advancement type oral devices (MADs). When treating SDB patients with MAD therapy, it is critical to … [Read more...]